Through some serious personal reflection as of late, I came to a decision to lay the groundwork to achieve the goal of being a professional brewer, ultimately my own boss at my own brewery. I spoke with someone several months ago about how best to pursue this, and they gave me a list of ideas.
The first was to start homebrewing, which I can safely say is now crossed off of my list. To further that step, I mentioned in a previous post about all-grain brewing as my next big step, essentially to give me the understanding of what it really means to be a brewer (plus the ingredients will be drastically cheaper without extract being in the picture). The all-grain process will give me the pseudo-experience of commercial brewing, especially the clean up.
Next on the list was to start reading. I have already digested several books (thank you Kindle), and have a number on my wish list to further my education. I even took a suggestion to price out some of the textbooks used by the MBAA (Master Brewers' Association of America) for classroom courses, and I think I found myself a heck of a deal.
With the all-grain brewing and "book learnin'" under way, the final step was to decide on a path to the formal education: apprenticeship or school. I could possibly find a brewery and apprentice the master brewer, but aside from getting one to say yes, it would mean no income for a significant time. The other option would be attending Siebel, a school in Chicago that offers a variety of brewing degrees, including the coveted WBA Master Brewer program. I like the school option, even if it would cost anywhere from $10,000 - $25,000, mostly because I can set my timeline to when I'm ready for it (and can afford it...damn do I hate loans).
There is a somewhat halfway step I could take towards the formal education in volunteering at breweries in the area, which I have put my name out to and am always looking to do what I can (if you know someone, let me know because I'll do whatever they need at the brewery for a chance to get exposure to the process). I also have some online courses through Siebel I can take that aren't as pricey and would give me the option to work from home on my coursework, a major saving grace.
I am putting myself on notice that if this is what I want, I need to commit to it 100%. Therefore, I'm going to be exploring the all-grain option, getting the books, and most likely (sigh) taking out a loan to start taking the advanced classes at Siebel. I am resolute in my dedication to my own happiness with this endeavour, so be prepared for the next phase in my brewing.
Oh yeah, and don't be surprised if you are invited to come by for a beer and tell me what you think. I'm always happy to have insights from others to hone my skills a bit more each day. Besides, when was it ever a bad day to drink a beer?
As always, drink well and be merry. Slainte!
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